Install Snow Leopard on 20" iMac without optical drive

I upgraded from Snow Leopard to Mavericks to Yosemite on 20" iMac.
The device is functioning unbearably slow.
I have the snow leopard DVD that came with the computer. But the optical drive is not working on it anymore.
The optical drive is not available as the product now is obsolete.
I attempted to install from recovery partition, it did not work as there seems no recovery options when I boot to that window using Ctrl+R.
Living in an area where I cannot arrange for another apple computer or laptop so I could install OS via another apple drive.
The only option left is to copy the contents of DVD to a USB and install from it.
However, not sure how I can achieve that. Need help!.

I have the snow leopard DVD that came with the computer. But the optical drive is not working on it anymore.
The optical drive is not available as the product now is obsolete.
Living in an area where I cannot arrange for another apple computer or laptop so I could install OS via another apple drive.The only option left is to copy the contents of DVD to a USB and install from it.
However, not sure how I can achieve that. Need help!.

If you want to be extra shady, you can just return it when you're done and you didn't pay anything for it.

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Some Macs that shipped with optical drives won't install an OS through an external.
Had a similar issue with trying to BootCamp a 2011 iMac after removing the superdrive.

I do think you can install Snow Leopard via USB but it has been so long I'm not 100% positive on it.
For as little time as it takes I would definitely try creating a SnowLeo boot disk and giving it a try, it is probably the least expensive and easier of the options.... if you have a dmg of SnowLeopard to start with.

Staff Member

I attempted to install from recovery partition, it did not work as there seems no recovery options when I boot to that window using Ctrl+R.

Click to expand...

Older macs do not have Recovery partitions. That was added to OS X when Apple started shipping Macs without optical drives (I think back in 2012 or something).

@CoastalOR link should do the trick, or as mentioned, pick up an inexpensive optical drive on Amazon. Its really short money these days and may help you more then you think if you're keeping this computer.

Older macs do not have Recovery partitions. That was added to OS X when Apple started shipping Macs without optical drives (I think back in 2012 or something).

@CoastalOR link should do the trick, or as mentioned, pick up an inexpensive optical drive on Amazon. Its really short money these days and may help you more then you think if you're keeping this computer.

Click to expand...

Internet Recovery came with Lion back in 2010. So all 2010 and newer iMacs, MacBook Airs and Pros can use it. It was part of an EFI update that was pushed out for 2010+ models.

Also open Disk Utility, click on MacIntosh HD in the left window and run Verify Disk to see if it give your disk a clean bill of health. Also click on the drive itself (just above Macintosh HD) and look to see what the S.M.A.R.T. status is in the bottom right. Finally, run Repair Permission.

Don't worry about what Repair Permissions says, but report back here the results from the S.M.A.R.T. status and Verify Disk.

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